The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a safe construction which is formed-in-place reinforced concrete, and more particularly to a safe construction combined with a device for preventing rust in reinforcement members in poured concrete. Also, the invention relates to the device itself and to the combination thereof with concrete.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous prior art wall and floor safes adapted to be embedded in concrete, or adapted to be free-standing. Many of such safes are intended for residential use, and may be installed in a wall or in a floor of the residence, and, in the latter instance such safes are normally embedded in reinforced concrete. Floor safes typically, and for many years past, have been pre-constructed and placed in a position in the ground so that concrete could be poured thereabout as the floor slab was being poured during construction of the building.
A formed-in-place safe structure is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,440, issued to Robert J. Lichter, the applicant herein, on Dec. 4, 1979, such patent being entitled "Safe, and Method and Apparatus for Building It", the safe being a "do it yourself" safe having a liner with various grooves or slots adapted to receive the inner edge portions of steel bars of predetermined size, a bottom, a firecap mold, and a strong steel door with associated lock. The liner, with some of the parts, are assembled and positioned in a cavity in the ground at an appropriate location within the residence, with concrete reinforcing rods, or "rebars", positioned between the liner and the adjacent ground, after which the concrete is poured to form the slab along with the structural part of the walls of the safe, with the balance of the parts of the safe apparatus, such as the door and firecap, then being attached. The aforementioned patent is herein incorporated by reference.
In reinforced concrete construction, after erection of appropriate forms, reinforcing rods or rebars, made of an iron composition or steel, are placed in the area where the concrete is to be poured. For the pouring of concrete slabs, some rebar sections are positioned vertically by driving into the ground for supporting a framework of other horizontally extending rebar sections. In such construction, after the concrete has been poured and cured, moisture from the soil attacks the rebar sections at the point of contact with the ground or below ground level. Rusting of these portions occurs, which then migrates to the rebar sections on the interior of the concrete, thereby promoting a deterioration of the interior rebar sections with a resultant loss of structural integrity of the poured concrete.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved formed-in-place floor safe apparatus with reinforced concrete walls having provision for preventing rusting of rebar sections within the concrete.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for inhibiting the migration of rust to rebar sections on the interior of poured reinforced concrete construction.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for use with concrete reinforcing rods to preclude the migration of rust from the ground along the rebar to rebar sections embedded in the concrete interior of a formed in place safe structure.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method for reinforced concrete construction, and particularly to the preclusion of rust formation on the portion of the concrete reinforcing rods or rebars embedded in concrete.